HIGHLIGHTS

Accenture research reveals retail customers find it easier to shop across channels than last year but desire more digital experiences in store.

Accenture surveyed almost 10,000 people in November 2014 in 13 countries around the globe. Our research findings show a significant shift in results compared to last year in these four areas: customer experience, flexible fulfillment, connect shopping and personalize experiences.

Noteworthy changes in results this year

People are online more as part of their overall shopping experience – browsing, purchasing, researching – something they used to do in store. And that’s good news because they are having fewer issues with the cross-channel, seamless shopping experience. However, research shows shoppers find it easiest to make a purchase in store.

Shoppers still want instant gratification versus waiting for something to be shipped. But people are expecting more from the in-store shopping experience, like the ability to order out of stock items – from their mobile phone, a kiosk or a sales associate – and having access to wifi. These digital services are what they would like to see most improved.

And we saw a big shift in how people are purchasing online after business hours. Of those who are willing to wait for something to be shipped, they are more prone to shop around for best price. The impact: higher risk of losing sales at local stores and online with their favorite retailer. While speed of delivery is important to online shoppers, this year, we found that shoppers find it more important to schedule their deliveries.